Enjoy Festive Food Without Overdoing It

It’s called the silly season for a reason. Even the most disciplined of us can fall off the wagon when it comes to dieting and healthy eating over the Christmas and New Year break.

So how can you have fun and enjoy yourself this festive season without overdoing it?

Our clinical dietitian Nick Wray has some advice. He recommends that people stay disciplined and focus on proteins and salads during the Christmas lunch.

“Ham, turkey, seafood - they’re all great food for filling you up with lots of protein,” he said.

“Eat more of those and less of the carbs and desserts.”

However, Nick warns that people should be wary of habitual behaviours that cause them to idly consume calories when they don’t mean to.

“Bariatric patients are luckier in a sense because they can’t overeat in one sitting, even if they wanted to,” he said. “But they can still graze - and that’s a big trap that everyone tends to fall into (around Christmas).”

“Keep busy when you think you’re most like to nibble, so you’re distracted. For example, go out and do something between lunch and dinner on Christmas Day.”

Nick also recommends that people be wary of how much they drink over the Christmas period, as alcohol is high in empty calories.

“Pick the events,” he said. “You don’t have to drink at everything you go to.”

“You might decide to have a few drinks at your work Christmas party, but then skip the beers at a friend’s barbeque, or something.”